Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Eldritch Knight cantrips

Once an Eldritch Knights achieves War Magic at level 7, I think that True Strike (as revised below) and Blade Ward become good choices for cantrips.  Here are my reasons why:

By level 5, an Eldritch Knight can attack twice with his attack action.  That means 2 attack rolls and 2 damage rolls in 1 round of combat; and consequently, 4 attack rolls and 4 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat.  I will continue to discuss my reasoning within the context of two rounds of combat.

By virtue of War Magic, an Eldritch Knight can use Blade Ward with the following effect:  3 attack rolls and 3 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat, plus resistance against bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage for those two rounds.

Here is how I would revise the True Strike cantrip:

True Strike
On Until the end of your next turn, you gain advantage on your first attack rolls against the target, provided that this spell hasn’t ended.

I believe that this revision would not provide an added benefit to most wizards; however, an Eldritch Knight, by virtue of War Magic, would benefit from this revision as follows: 6 attack rolls and 3 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat.

Thus, an Eldritch Knight with both True Strike (as revised below) and Blade Ward would have 3 meaningfully different combat options:

i) Normal Attack Option: 4 attack rolls and 4 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat;

ii) Defensive Attack Option: 3 attack rolls and 3 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat, plus resistance against bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage for those two rounds; and

iii) Precise Attack Option: 6 attack rolls and 3 damage rolls in 2 rounds of combat.

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Drow and Scout modifications

Drow

Challenge 1/4 1/2 (50 100 XP)

Hit Points 13 16 (3d8 + 3)

CON 10 12 (+0 1)

ACTIONS
Multiattack. The drow makes two shortsword attacks.

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Scout

Shortsword Scimitar. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing slashing damage.

Drider redux

Lolth eventually summons a drow house's matron mother to the Hadesweb for a test of faith and strength.  Those matron mothers that pass the test rise higher in the Spider Queen's favor:  they are transformed by Lolth into driders, the blessed image of Lolth. Those matron mothers that fail the test prove that they are unworthy to lead a drow house to Lolth's satisfaction.  They are stripped of their role as matron mothers and remain in the Hadesweb to spend an eternity serving Lolth, rather than leading her drow.  In this way, Lolth surrounds herself with powerful drow.

As the favored of Lolth, all driders enjoy considerable power and authority in drow society.  The drow believe that a drow house that does not have a drider for a matron mother is experiencing the displeasure of Lolth. Such houses face stigma and disdain from the greater drow community.

DRIDER
Large monstrositychaotic neutral evil
Armor Class 19 (natural armor)

Hit Points 123 (13d10 +52)
Speed 30ft., climb 30ft.
STR 16 (+3)
DEX 16 (+3)
CON 18 (+4)
INT 13 (+1) 14 (+2)
WIS 14 (+2) 17 (+3)
CHA 12 (+1) 18 (+4)
Saving Throws Con +7, Wis +6, Cha +7
Skills 
Insight +6Perception +5+6Religion +4Stealth +9
Damage Immunities poison
Condition Immunities poisoned

Senses darkvision 120ft., passive Perception 15 16
Languages Abyssal, Infernal, Elvish Sylvan [Elvish does not exist in my world], Undercommon.
Challenge 
6 (2,300 XP) 10 (5,900 XP)

Fey Ancestry. The drider has advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put the drider to sleep.

Leap.  The drider can expend all its movement on its turn to jump up to 90 feet vertically or horizontally, provided that its speed is as least 30 feet.

Spider ClimbThe drider can climb difficult surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an ability check.

Spider Affinity.  Driders have a special kinship with spiders.  Even untrained spiders recognize arachnoloths as allies and don't prey on them.

Spider Telepathy.  Driders can magically command any spider of CR2 or less that is within 120 feet of it, using a limited telepathy.


Sunlight Sensitivity. While in sunlight, the drider has disadvantage on attack rolls, as well as on Wisdom
(Perception) checks that rely on sight.

Innate Spellcasting. The drider's spellcasting ability is Wisdom (spell save DC 13 15). The drider can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components:
At will: dancing lights
1/day each: darkness, faerie fire, spider climb, web


Spellcasting. The drider is a l2th-level spellcaster. Its spellcasting ability is Wisdom (save DC 14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). The drider has the following cleric spells prepared:
Cantrips (at will) : guidance, poison spray, resistance, spare the dying, thaumaturgy
lst level (4 slots): animal friendship, cure wounds, detect poison and disease, ray of sickness
2nd level (3 slots): lesser restoratlon, protection from poison, web
3rd level (3 slots): conjure animals (2 giant spiders), dispel magic
4th level (3 slots): divination, freedom of movement
5th level (2 slots): conjure arachnoloth, raise dead
6th level (1 slot): word of recall

Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the drider knows the exact location of any other creature in contact with the same web.

Web Walker. The drider ignores movement restrictions caused by webbing.

Magic Weapons. The arachnoloth's weapon attacks are magical.

ACTIONS
MultiattackThe drider makes three claw attacks, either with its longsword or its longbow. It can replace one of those attacks with a bite attack.


Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature.  Hit: 2 (1d4) piercing damage plus 9 (2d8) poison damage.

Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) slashing damage, or 8 (1dl0 + 3) slashing damage if used with two hands.

Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 120/600 ft., one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage plus 4 (1d8) poison damage.

Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.  Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage.

Web (Recharge 5-6}. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The target is restrained by webbing. As an action, the restrained target can make a DC 17 Strength check, bursting the webbing on a success. The webbing can also be attacked and destroyed (AC 10; hp 10; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, poison, and psychic damage).